Darby Bible
John 1:15
15(John bears witness of him, and he has cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me;)
John 1:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
- New International Version (NIV)(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”)
- English Standard Version (ESV)(John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
- New King James Version (NKJV)John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
Context of John 1:15
13who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh's will, nor of man's will, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father), full of grace and truth; (John bears witness of him, and he has cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me;) 16for of his fulness we all have received, and grace upon grace. 17For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth subsists through Jesus Christ.
Read all of John 1John 1:15 word by word
Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων· οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον· ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν.Read the interlinear
Cross-references for John 1:15
- John 1:7He came for witness, that he might witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him.
- John 3:26And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him.
- John 5:33Ye have sent unto John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
- Matthew 3:11I indeed baptise you with water to repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to bear; he shall baptise you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;
- Mark 1:7And he preached, saying, There comes he that is mightier than I after me, the thong of whose sandals I am not fit to stoop down and unloose.
- Luke 3:16John answered all, saying, I indeed baptise you with water, but the mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not fit to unloose; he shall baptise you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;
- John 1:1In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 8:58Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
- John 17:5and now glorify me, thou Father, along with thyself, with the glory which I had along with thee before the world was.
- Proverbs 8:22Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
- Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
- Micah 5:2(And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall he come forth unto me [who is] to be Ruler in Israel: whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity.)
- Philippians 2:6who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God;
- Colossians 1:17And he is before all, and all things subsist together by him.
- Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to-day, and to the ages [to come].
- Revelation 1:11saying, What thou seest write in a book, and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
Commentaries on John 1:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Of him - The glorious personage before mentioned: John the Baptist, whose history was well known to the persons to whom this Gospel came in the beginning, bare witness; and he cried, - being deeply convinced of the importance and truth of the subject, he delivered his testimony with the utmost zeal and earnestness, - saying, This is he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me - for I am no other than the voice of the crier in the wilderness, Isaiah 40:3…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15John bare witness of him - The evangelist now returns to the testimony of John the Baptist. He had stated that the Word became incarnate, and he now appeals to the testimony of John to show that, thus incarnate, he was the Messiah. He that cometh after me - He of whom I am the forerunner, or whose way I am come to prepare. See the notes at Matthew 3:3. Is preferred before me - Is superior to me. Most critics have supposed that the words translated “is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fulness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15He was before me: In John the Baptist’s culture, older age was respected and honored (Leviticus 19:32). Younger people were expected to honor those who were older, not replace them (contrast Isaiah 3:5). By saying that Jesus existed before him, John the Baptist pointed to the greater honor of Jesus. He explained that Jesus existed before creation itself, not just before the birth of John (John 1:1–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. after me--in official manifestation. before me--in rank and dignity. for he was before me--in existence; "His goings forth being from of old, from everlasting" (Mi 5:2). (Anything lower than this His words cannot mean); that is, "My Successor is my Superior, for He was my Predecessor." This enigmatic play upon the different senses of the words "before" and "after" was doubtless employed by the Baptist to arrest attention, and rivet the thought; and…Read the comment
Topics related to John 1:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Darby Bible — 1889 — Public Domain
Commentaries